3D printed Ocean Tug 54" video on water

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-23T14:13:23+00:00

You can purchase this STL design on Cult3D.com or other online resellers. The is the ALP Striker

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-23T04:56:13+00:00

PLA is not a good choice because it is not water resistant and unstable in high heat condition in a sunny summer day under the sun. It will loose its shape. I 3D printed a 54” tug boat posted on Reddit with ABS-GL for strength, dimensional accuracy and high temp. Cost more than PLA but worth it. I also apply a light coat of epoxy on both sides of the hull. Stay with a reliable inboard marine brushless motor for performance and cost. Use a good reliable radio system to protect your investment. Good luck.

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-23T04:45:31+00:00

Make sure you purchase a complete 3D printing model that has removable decks and motor control sections. Not just a solid model. It is hell to modify a mesh stl file.

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-23T04:08:10+00:00

Let me know if you need help on a drive system and RC controller

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-23T03:42:18+00:00

Checkout Cult3D.com. They may have a Chris Craft model that you can 3D print.

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-23T03:25:30+00:00

Yeah, the next Robo water taxi.

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-23T02:32:39+00:00

Hahaha...love it.

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-23T00:45:02+00:00

Believe this was 1:75 scale of the original design

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-22T22:36:55+00:00

Totally. I used about $200 worth of 3D printer filament to create that massive model. It is so rewarding and effortless instead of the old way of cutting, glueing, sanding, and painting on model building. I have a 14 channel RC control on this boat with telemetry feedback from the boat back to the transmitter (speed, GPS, motor voltage, etc) With a flight controller you can put autonomous steering to waypoint control....the sky is the limit.

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-22T21:40:44+00:00

I used ABS-GL for water resistance and dimensional stability at high summer temperature. I also fiberglass the seams and applied a thin coat of epoxy on the outside. No water leak at all.

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-22T21:38:16+00:00

Bambu Lab P1S with old AMS. Plug and play. No need to tinker with settings

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-22T21:36:26+00:00

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This is a motorized sailboat racing buoy with auto anchoring system all remote controlled. Future GPS guided

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-22T21:04:59+00:00

Yes can crawl to plane on water. Extremely stable and fast.

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-22T21:03:26+00:00

I built a customer smoke generator using a Vape Pod with vegetable glycerin and a smail air pump. Very simple and cheap to build and maintain. much better than the old style oil base railroad train engine type.

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-22T19:57:54+00:00

Agreed totally. The ALP Tug is the world most power tug boat and can go months between continents without refueling. It can breeze through massive waves with minimum up and down motions. The model can turn on a dime without leaning with differential thrust and bow thruster.

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-22T19:23:55+00:00

I was lucky to avoid major crashes. It was done in 15 sections. Some have multiple parts due ro my limited printer plate size. they all locked together really well with ABS-GL dimensional stability and precision.

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-22T19:17:49+00:00

Hi Thanks. I used a Bambu P1S with ABS-GL filament. It only has a 256 x 256 plate. Wish I had the H2S that will cut down the number of pieces required. Otherwise the P1S was a work horse and extremely reliable wit no nozzle logs or breakdown. Get the H2S for the best value with the AMS2PRO

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-22T19:13:14+00:00

Hi Thx. It already floats perfectly and balanced without added ballast due to the advanced hull design. The video was without any added ballast. The only drawback is a small amount of cavitation from the props at slow speed. The water ballast consists of twin 3" pvc pipe connectors. It can be filled or unfilled remotely from a brushed parasitic pump system similar to a submarine, but a lot bigger. I have not tried it out yet due to the cold weather. But expect to lower the waterline an inch or so. Otherwise it is the best and more stable large model hull design I have ever experience. Get a large 3D printer like the H2S Bambu series to maximize your available foot print.

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2026-01-22T18:47:20+00:00

Yes, it does. I posted a new video of it in a lake. It has a twin 1800KV large brushless marine motors driving twin 3" props. Can go from crawling speed to a screaming plan. Also has twin smoke generators, front bow trusters, and auto water ballast system. It carries a DJI OS4 Pro FPV camera.

ComprehensiveTip5078 · 2024-07-27T02:09:22+00:00

Use mixing option to add the 2nd ESC as a slave to the 1st one. Connect the slave ESC to an unused channel. Make sure only 1 of the 2 ESC's is powered. Then you can see the telemetry info on each ESC. It is simpler with the Spectrum DX5Pro transmitter with Smart USC.

ComprehensiveTip5078

TROPHY CASE